Not only are the words important. If there is no bhakti, the work is useless. The realization coming from the words of the Vedas is useless without bhakti, what to speak of mere scriptural knowledge, and what to speak of niskama-karma. And so much more, sakama-karma is useless without bhakti. Even knowledge devoid of fruitive intentions does not appear wonderful without bhakti, in which one thinks of the Lord who has a form of knowledge and bliss (acyuta-bhava). Even if bhakti is present in jnana and one thinks that the Lord and bhakti are mixed with maya, then that does not produce liberation. Though devoid of ignorance (niranjanam), though one has realized knowledge, what is the use of that knowledge (alam)? What then to speak of unrealized scriptural knowledge! One should not say that you can achieve liberation just by destroying ignorance. By the inconceivable energy of the Lord, the destroyed ignorance again arises. The Parisista-vacanam of the Vasana-bhasya says:

jivan-mukta api punar bandhanam yanti karmabhih | yady acintya-maha-saktau bhagavaty aparadhinah |

Even the liberated persons again get bound by karma if they commit offense against the Lord, possessor of great, inconceivable powers.

There it also says:

jivan-mukta prapadyante kvacit samsara-vasanam |
yogino na vilipyante karmabhir bhagavat-parah ||

Liberated souls sometimes are subjected to birth and death, but the yogis who surrender to the Lord are not touched by karma.

Thus the effect of jnana is destruction of karma. jnanagnih sarva-karmani bhasmasat kurute ’rjuna: O Arjuna, by the fire of knowledge all karmas are burned to ashes. (BG 4.33) But that is not so wonderful because it is also said concerning rathayatra in Visnu-bhakti-candrodaya of another Purana:

nanuvrajati yo mohad vrajantam jagad-isvaram | jnanagni-dagdha-karmapi sa bhaved brahma-raksasah ||

He who does not follow the Lord in his chariot when he moves becomes a brahma-raksasa even though he has destroyed all karmas with the fire of knowledge.

It will also be said later aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adho ’nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah: after reaching the height of liberation with great difficulty, again they fall down because they do not worship the lotus feet of the Lord. (SB 10.2.32)

Since jnana is devoid of real bhakti to the Lord, the offense caused by thinking that the Lord is material is unavoidable. If such jnana devoid of bhakti is useless, what then to speak of karma which is filled with desires for enjoyment and which causes suffering (abhadram) at all times (sasvat)--during practice and at the time of receiving the result. And even if the karma is without the goal of enjoyment (akaranam), because it is not offered to the Lord it is not successful.